Gym Leaders
All eight Yellow gym teams at the exact levels the game uses, with the counters Yellow deliberately hands you.
Gym Leader Teams and Rewards
Yellow rosters - note that Viridian's leader is Giovanni
| # | City | Leader | Type | Team (Yellow) | Badge | TM Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pewter | Brock | Rock | Geodude L10, Onix L12 | Boulder | TM34 Bide |
| 2 | Cerulean | Misty | Water | Staryu L18, Starmie L21 | Cascade | TM11 BubbleBeam |
| 3 | Vermilion | Lt. Surge | Electric | Raichu L28 (only one!) | Thunder | TM24 Thunderbolt |
| 4 | Celadon | Erika | Grass | Tangela L30, Weepinbell L32, Gloom L32 | Rainbow | TM21 Mega Drain |
| 5 | Fuchsia | Koga | Poison | Venonat L44, Venonat L46, Venonat L48, Venomoth L50 | Soul | TM06 Toxic |
| 6 | Saffron | Sabrina | Psychic | Abra L50, Kadabra L50, Alakazam L50 | Marsh | TM46 Psywave |
| 7 | Cinnabar | Blaine | Fire | Ninetales L48, Rapidash L50, Arcanine L54 | Volcano | TM38 Fire Blast |
| 8 | Viridian | Giovanni | Ground | Dugtrio L50, Persian L53, Nidoqueen L53, Nidoking L55, Rhydon L55 | Earth | TM27 Fissure |
What Each Badge Actually Does
Stat boosts and HM field gates
Four badges give a permanent x9/8 (+12.5%) boost to one stat across your whole party:
- Boulder Badge - Attack
- Thunder Badge - Speed
- Soul Badge - Defense
- Volcano Badge - Special
Four badges gate an HM's use outside battle:
- Boulder - Flash
- Cascade - Cut
- Thunder - Fly
- Rainbow - Strength
- Soul - Surf
Beware the badge-boost glitch: any stat-stage change re-applies your badge boosts, so a Pokemon that keeps using Swords Dance or Agility snowballs well past the intended numbers.
Counters for a Pikachu Start
What to bring to each gym
- Brock - Electric does nothing. Mankey (Low Kick L9) or Nidoran (M) (Double Kick L12) off Route 22, or Butterfree's Confusion at L12.
- Misty - Pikachu shines: Thunder Wave, then ThunderShock. The Bulbasaur gift is in this very city. Beware Starmie's BubbleBeam.
- Lt. Surge - one Raichu, but it is fast. Diglett or Dugtrio from the cave next door is immune to Electric, and Dig is super effective.
- Erika - the Route 24 Charmander, now a Charmeleon. Pidgeotto works too, but use Wing Attack: Gust is Normal-type in Gen 1. Kadabra tears through her Poison-typed Grass team.
- Koga - Kadabra or Mr. Mime (Psychic is 2x on Poison). Dig and Earthquake also work. Bring Awakenings and Antidotes for the Venonat sleep and poison spam.
- Sabrina - there are no good Psychic counters in Gen 1. Overwhelm her frail Abra line with a big physical attacker (Snorlax, Tauros, Dodrio, Primeape) or a faster Psychic of your own.
- Blaine - Water: Blastoise, Lapras or Starmie. Rock moves work too.
- Giovanni - Water, Ice and Grass. Rhydon takes 4x from Water and Grass. Lapras is the star; bench Pikachu.